Since there is no shovel section, I figured I would post this question here. Now I have heard some people refer to an excavator as a shovel, but I am talking about a cable operated shovel. Never operated one, and probably never will, but I have always wondered, after you trip the gate on the rear of the bucket, and dumped the material, does the gate close under power, or do you have to bring the dipper back over center in order to close and latch it.....
Closing the bucket is simple, lower the dipper stick below the center point of the boom quickly and stop it abruptly, the door will swing closed and latch. Allowing the dipper stick to return fast when it is above the boom center and stopping it abruptly will also work.
Right on. Thanks. Never been around one, but it was something that I had always wondered, and I had seen a picture of one on Facebook today so I figured..why not ask.
Look at YouTube, Look for Northwest Shovels. Some of these operators can out load a wheel loader of 3 times the shovels capacity. Where are you located, check out HCEA.com for their next national show.
The HCEA also has a great Facebook page, Historical Construction Equipment Association.
HCEA.com? I think you mean http://www.hcea.net/
The 2015 show is in Edgerton, Wisconsin, on Labor Day weekend, Friday through Monday.
That should be a great show. Also the ACMOC national show will be held at the same venue at the same time. Twice the fun for the same price.
Nothing like that here in New Brunswick. Closest thing I can get here is a company not far from my house that still has a couple old Austin Weston graders, and an old asphalt spreader from the 50s. Had a chance to go to ConExpo four years ago, all expenses paid, but ended up having a baby, well not me my wife.
Yeah, I bet if you gave birth, you'd lose all interest in tradeshows! :falldownlaugh
Here...Electric Shovels Komatsu PC 8000
Is this shovel powered by that thin cable?:jawdrop
Yes PC 8000 has 2 electric ABB motors 6.6KV - 1800RPM
Abbott Construction, in VT has a couple Bucyrus Erie diesel powered cable shovels. I'd guess the learning curve is enormous. I don't see them in use often, but it's remarkable how fast a skilled operator can cycle one. The right operator makes a fluid motion out of the whole thing. Loading a triaxle takes a few minutes. Where it really shines is loading the crusher. Willie
If you think diesel has a steep learning curve, how about a coal fired STEAM powered cable shovel...fully manual of course. They used those to dig the Panama Canal. But then you have a fireman, an oiler AND an engineer to assist. Howard
Go to YouTube and look for Northwest shovels. I remember watching basement excavations in NYC in the mid 1960's, one contractor in particular, Michael F. Breen from the Bronx... his two operators on Northwest 80-D's shovels on the East Side in Mid Town Manhattan loading Mack B Models and DM800s as smooth as silk and fast as the wind, effortless it seemed. I got to know the Breen's, "Frank" the Father, Mike Jr. and Jim Breen, Michael F. Breen was Franks Father, they were great people to deal with, the word was GOLD.
You mean like this one? Picture is not the best, I stole it off Google Maps Street View. This machine is parked in front of the abandoned quarry in Leroy NY. Company history claims they bought this shovel after it was done working on the Panama Canal. Back when this quarry was still a working plant for the company I got to know some of the older guys there and was told they remember moving it out there for display! At that time instead of using steam power they had hooked up an air compressor to it to walk it out there. Up until some years back there was also a small steam locomotive parked in front of the shovel. It has now been mover to a Railroad museum near Syracuse NY. http://www.cnynrhs.org/ Here's a picture of it at it's new home: I probably should take a ride up there some day and say Hi! to it as it's been years since I saw it in person at the quarry!
The Musuem in Canyon, Texas, up in the panhandle has a full size steam powered oil drill/Derrick inside...
Years ago I did a 6 month stint at a coal strip mine. They had an electric 71 cu/yd dragline for stripping overburden. A D-9 was there to keep the pad level for travel via paddles and to pull the power cord to new locations. The first time I saw the shovel was at night and it was so large that it was tough to tell how big it was till standing next to it. Every time there was downtime a large flatbed truck with 8 welding machines mounted came out and the hard-facing and patching up would begin. The bucket was larger than the D-9.